In recent declared budget, Government of India decided to increase the minimum support price (MSP) for farmers by one-and-a-half times the input cost has also raised the hopes of dairy farmers.
Dairy farmers from various places have complained that they have not earned enough remuneration for milk and are often forced to sell their produce at lower prices.
Experts have orated that there is a terrible need for a MSP for the dairy sector, which, in recent times, has sharply turned away from the cooperative system.
They felt it was good that the government announced that the MSP of farm produce would be kept at one-and-a-half times the input cost and stated that milk also be considered a crop and be included for the determination of MSP at the aforementioned rate.
J P Meena, secretary, ministry of food processing industries (MoFPI), opined that although the dairy industry still has a relatively fair system of pricing, there is a need for a hike.
“Unless there is a good remunerative price for produce, the farmers will not be encouraged to produce more,” he added.
Abhishek Saareen, executive director, Trident F&B Consultants Pvt Ltd. Said “Small dairy farmers everywhere in India, particularly those who own cows, continue to struggle. This is a national crisis. Therefore, MSP will turn out to be a huge relief for the dairy farmers. If it is properly implemented, it will eliminate the exploitation of dairy farmers,”